The present invention relates to devices which can support persons and/or material at a level above the ground, e.g., in front of the facades of buildings which are being erected, cleaned, inspected, painted and/or otherwise treated. More particularly, the invention relates to a working platform or gallery which can be used for the above outlined or analogous purposes and which is provided with a gate to enhance the safety of persons occupying the gallery and/or to reduce the likelihood of accidental gravitational descent of building material and/or tools to the ground.
It is known to provide a gallery with a gate (e.g., a swingable door) which is mounted at one end of the walking platform and serves as a means for reducing the likelihood of accidents including injury to the occupant(s) of the gallery and/or injury or damage to persons or property below the gallery, such as by accidentally dropped building material which is stacked on the gallery. It is further known to provide such galleries with means for locking the gate in closed position so that a workman is less likely to accidentally open the gate if the latter is located at one end of the platform and its opening could result in serious injury or even death as a result of fall to the ground or onto a portion of an edifice at a level below the gallery. For example, the gate will be closed and locked if there is no other barrier at the respective end of the gallery. However, the gate can be unlocked and opened if the gallery is installed between two spaced-apart walls which are provided with openings and doors for such openings so that there is no need for an extra gate on the gallery proper.
When the gallery is removed from the finished, inspected and/or repaired building, the gate is normally detached therefrom, either alone or with the framework in which the gate is installed. The gallery is then kept in storage or transported to a new locale of use where the gate must be reinstalled so as to be movable to a closed position. This can present many problems if the new locale of use is such that the gate must be swung to an open position which is different from that at the previous locale of use. For example, if the gate is pivotable, the circumstances prevailing at a first locale of use may be such that the gate must be pivoted clockwise in order to move from an open to a closed position. On the other hand, the conditions at the next locale of use may be such that a movement of the gate from open to closed position necessitates pivoting in a counterclockwise direction. A situation which is likely to arise is that when the gallery is installed between two erected walls at least one of which has an opening in mere partial register with the space above the adjacent end portion of the platform. If the gate is designed to swing outwardly in order to assume the open position, the opening in the respective wall is likely to be too small or not sufficiently aligned with the gate to enable the latter to move to its open position.